LOCAL BRIEFS

Photographic exhibit on Tinian

The story of the Chamorros of Yap will unfold on Saturday, May 1, in the form of a photographic exhibit entitled “The Chamorros of Yap” which will run until May 15 at the lobby of Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino.

The photos tell the story of Chamorros from the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam migrating into Yap as far back as 1880.

The photos and other graphic displays document the 66-year migration, including the relocation to Tinian by US Naval Administration in 1946 and 1948 when close to 500 people with all their livestock and worldly possessions were settled on an island transformed by a world war.

The photos tell where and how these people lived in Yap, how they developed businesses, built their houses, raised their children and developed a distinct community within a community.

To tell the story, over 100 photographs will be displayed along with a narrative and several maps, one of which shows Chamorro family residences in Colonia along Chamorro Wan or Chamorro Bay.

Other displays include a copy of church records showing 82 Chamorro families in Yap, letters written during the migration period, and excerpts from a diary written by Jose de Borja Salas.

The exhibit is located in the lobby of the Tinian Dynasty Hotel whose management generously donated the space. It will be on display through May 15 and is open and free to the public.

The NMI Council for the Humanities is a non-profit, private corporation funded in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Mortlockese meeting

All Mortlockese citizens residing on Saipan are invited to attend a meeting on May 1, Saturday, from 4 PM to 7 PM at Rokucho Billy’s Residence in Garapan. Your presence and participation in this meeting is greatly appreciated.

San Jose Fiesta

Tinian Sen. David M. Cing extended invitation to all island residents to attend the San Jose Fiesta on Tinian, beginning today until Sunday. The festivities will be one of the biggest events on the island, according to the senator.

District meeting

The Saipan and Northern Islands Soil and Water Conservation District will hold a district meeting on May 6 at 2 PM at the Natural Resources Conservation Service office in Garapan, while the Saipan Interagency Watershed meeting will be on May 12 at 9:30 AM at the Department of Public Works. For information, contact 233-3415 or 0650.